Hed Designs
Stinger 7 Carbon
wheelsets - tubular

Product Description

The HedStinger 7 FR Tubular Wheelset neatly fills the gap between Hed'sStinger 6 and Stinger 9, but more than just numerically. Where the 6 is awell-rounded racing wheel, and the 9 purely for racing against the clock, theStinger 7 is a dangerous weapon aboard the bike of a capable sprinter. Yes, itis true that Hed engineers reinforced the sidewalls of the 75mm-deep carbonrims, making them extremely stiff and responsive and an obvious choice for apowerhouse like Cavendish or Greipel. But what sets the Stinger 7 apart fromother wheels optimized for those last few blistering seconds of a race, andadds to its versatility, is Hed's Stability Control Technology which handlesall of the other kilometers leading up to those final 200 meters. SCTspecifically addresses the Stinger 7's shape to improve stability incrosswinds, thus countering one of the biggest drawbacks to running deepsection wheels. Hed claims their Stability Control Technology provides the sameaerodynamic advantage of a 75mm deep rim, but won't let you get blown acrossthe road when the wind shifts direction.Inaddition to Stability Control Technology, Hed engineers also incorporated C2Technology into the Stinger 7. C2 stands for two Cs: lower coefficient ofrolling resistance (Crr) and better aerodynamics (Cda). The rims on the Stinger7 Wheelset are 23mm wide when most rims are around 19mm, and it makes a bigdifference. The wider rim matches the tires that most folks use on their racebikes -- 23mm. A 23mm rim paired with a 23mm tire changes the tire's footprint.It grips better in a straight line, and it grips better in turns because thetire has a straighter sidewall and deforms a bit less at a given pressure. A23mm tire on a 23mm rim also has lower rolling resistance. Hed sent the wheelsto Continental Tires for testing. Conti's engineers shrugged their shouldersand figured there was no difference, but they put them in their testing jig andran the tests anyways. As it turns out, Hed's C2 rim design offers 18% lessrolling resistance than typical narrower rims. And because of the smoothertransitions from tire tread, to sidewall, to rim, and finally to the trailingedge of the rim, the airflow is less disturbed. The result is a more laminarair flow and a lower aerodynamic drag. It might have seemed crazy at firstblush, but the industry is following. Yes, it's a good idea to run 23mm orwider tires on any of Hed's C2 wheels.TheStinger 7s come standard with HED's Carbon Flamme Rouge (FR) Sonic hubs. Thehubs have a carbon fiber center section and use a minimalist shape in order tomaximize aerodynamic characteristics. Both the front and rear hubs run ABEC5bearings on oversize aluminum axles: 12mm in front, 15mm in rear. The oversizedaxles are stiff, and with less deflection the bearings run smoother and withless drag. The front hub has aluminum end caps with a carbon-fiber center, andthe rear hub is all aluminum with a grease port covered by a carbon-fiber cap.The pawl mechanism for the cassette body